Always able to find itself at the center of controversy, Tesla’s latest PR stunt has earned it a slap on the wrist by a Federal safety agency.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a statement in rebuttal to Tesla‘s claim that the Model S is the safest car ever and that it earned a, “new combined record of 5.4 stars” according to a Tesla release.

“The agency’s 5-Star Safety Ratings program is designed to provide consumers with information about the crash protection and rollover safety of new vehicles beyond what is required by Federal standards,” says the NHTSA release. “One star is the lowest rating; five stars is the highest. More stars equal safer cars.” The statement goes on to comment that the agency, “does not rate vehicles beyond 5 stars and does not rank or order vehicles within the star rating categories.”

That said, a 5-star rating for the Tesla Model S is equal to any other car with a rating of 5-stars, with another example being the Volvo S60.

In addition, the agency chides Tesla’s overzealous claims, commenting that it, “has guidelines in place for automakers and advertising agencies to follow, helping ensure that accurate information is portrayed to the public.”

Did Tesla follow those guidelines? It’s likely the electric automaker, its eccentric CEO, Elon Musk, and its clever PR department will find a way to chime-in.

]]>http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/08/tesla-model-s-not-safest-car-ever-nhtsa.html/feed19more]]>Tesla Model S is the Safest Car Everhttp://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/08/tesla-model-s-is-the-safest-car-ever.html
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2013/08/tesla-model-s-is-the-safest-car-ever.html#commentsTue, 20 Aug 2013 13:02:06 +0000http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/?p=211048Tesla Model S is the Safest Car… EverThe Tesla Model S is stacking accolades like pancakes, and its newest one is setting the new NHTSA vehicle safety score record. According to the electric American automaker, the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars in NHTSA’s overall Vehicle Safety Scores (VSS). Though NHTSA doesn’t publish a star rating above five,... more]]>

The Tesla Model S is stacking accolades like pancakes, and its newest one is setting the new NHTSA vehicle safety score record.

According to the electric American automaker, the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars in NHTSA’s overall Vehicle Safety Scores (VSS). Though NHTSA doesn’t publish a star rating above five, it does capture safety levels better than five in the overall VSS.

That means the Tesla Model S has the least likelihood of injury to its occupants than any other vehicle that has been tested and approved for sale in the U.S. And since Tesla doesn’t shy away from making bold claims, the American automaker also explained that it analyzed its sedan to determine the weakest points on the car and had those specifically retested until the car achieved five stars no matter how the test equipment was configured.

It also threw in a dig at all the other electric automakers out there, saying the Model S lithium-ion battery has never caught fire during testing and that no production Tesla battery has ever caught file – in the Roadster or the Model S. Tesla also announced that it’s unaware of any Model S or Roadster occupant fatalities in any car ever.